“It hasn’t been a distraction because our general manager has made it very clear that it’s not an issue, he’s not going anywhere. That ended the distraction, right there,” DeBoer said after the morning skate before Tuesday night’s game against the Maple Leafs here.

The Devils’ captain can become an unrestricted free agent July 1 and could be the most-sought rental on the market, if he was on it.

Sources say Parise has decided against negotiating a new long-term deal before the trade deadline, and perhaps before the end of the season.

The 27-year-old Devils captain is tied with Kirk Muller at 185 goals for fourth place on the team’s all-time list, and stands 22-29-51 in 58 games this season. He missed most of last year with knee surgery, after becoming the first player in team history to score 30 or more goals in four straight seasons.